


Distant Shore

by TeaTones



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Healing, LGBTQ Themes, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mental Health Issues, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:02:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29540703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaTones/pseuds/TeaTones
Summary: Nitya Marks is a nerdy 23 year old art student drop out. After losing his parents to a boating accident and inheriting a considerable sum of money in life insurance, he drops his life in Zuzu city to move to his grandfathers old farm and start renovating. He needed a big change, and this very well might be it.Sebastian's father was a fisherman who worked along side Willy; and before Sebastian was born, they hit a bad patch of weather while they were out at sea and his dad was swept off the boat and never seen again.In which the new farmer is pseudo adopted into Abigail, Sam and Sebastian's little squad and shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Sebastian/Male Player (Stardew Valley)
Kudos: 11





	1. A New Beginning?

It’s strange how things can change so suddenly in a person’s life. Nitya often thought this himself. Of all the rapid twists and turns, the curve balls thrown his way that ripped the rug right out from under his feet. 

The psychological breakdown that led him to drop out of art school his junior year after his parents died in a boating accident was only the start of it. Being forced to work a crummy office job for a huge corporation, one that pretty much monopolized the job market for retail stores all around the country, caused a mental health crisis 2.0 leading him to make either the best or the worst financial decision of his life.

He found himself in desperate need of a solid ground to set his feet down on. He needed a change.

He remembered an old letter his grandfather gave him when he was little, which was stored away in a safe in his parents old house. The property has long since been sold but he made sure the safe was taken with him; and between that and the life insurance money which he only got recently after ridiculous legal battles over whether or not his parents were technically dead, since they only found the destroyed empty boat, Nitya found himself sitting on a comfortable chunk of money.

The perfect opportunity to make a drastic change.

Nitya decided to leave Zuzu City once his apartment lease was up. Pelican Town seemed like it would be the most ideal location to go to. It was everything Zuzu City wasn’t. It would be quiet. It would be comfortable. He would have his own property. 

After speaking with the town mayor, who seemed overjoyed at the prospect of getting that old farm up and running again, Nitya was driving along a long country road in a moving van. His cat secured in a carrier safely next to him, who finally decided to stop his yelling and go to sleep.

The scenery was rather nice. After driving through a stretch of desert between the city and the quaint countryside, the trees and forest along the road was relaxing. He saw a deer trot across the road which startled him for a moment. But other than that, it’s been smooth sailing. 

He let out a sigh of relief when he finally passed a sign that read  _ ‘Now Entering Pelican Town’ _ . It'd been four hours since he set out.

The GPS started pointing him down a road that looked like it was in dire need of upkeep. With weeds and overgrown bushes making their way into the cracks of the cobblestone path. It was still drivable though, but it was definitely something to look into cleaning up. Shortly after turning down the road, Nitya passed by another sign that read  _ ‘Golden Oak Farm’ _ so at least he was in the right place.

After a few minutes, the pathway opened up to a large clearing, with an old, rundown looking cabin ahead. Two people were chatting outside on the front porch, one of which was an old man who Nitya could only assume was Mayor Lewis, who told him he would meet him on the property.

The other was a woman with wavy red hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing a yellow long sleeve shirt and a brown vest which seemed odd to wear during the spring, but who was he to say anything. She wore a pair of blue jeans and steel toe work boots as well.

They both stopped talking as they noticed the van pulling up. Nitya parked right before the porch and hopped out, walking over to greet the two.

“Hello, and welcome to Pelican town!” The mayor greeted as he made his way down the creaky porch steps and shook his hand, “Wow you really are Walter’s grandson, you look just like him when he was your age.” The mayor grimmed. 

Nitya thought back to the last time he’d seen his grandfather and wondered if that was a compliment or not. A vision of a short, slightly overweight old man with a long, scraggly white beard and mess of white curls atop his head.

Nitya was short, this was true. Five foot one and a half inches to be exact. But he was on the scrawnier side with tanned skin and dark brown curly hair that was just barely long enough to pull back into a nubby ponytail. He had hazel eyes and freckles dotting across his face. 

“It’s great to meet you as well.” Nitya offered a smile before looking over to the woman who was descending the steps to stand beside the mayor, “And you are?” he asked politely.

The woman smiled back and shook his hand, “The name’s Robin, it’s great to meet you. I run a carpentry shop not too far from here actually. Me and Mayor Lewis were talking about helping with renovating the house a little bit.”

Nitya looked over her shoulder and could immediately see what she meant. It was a pretty solid home, but was certainly a fixer upper, “I see what you mean.” Nitya walked up the front steps to test the squeaky boards himself, then peaked through the front wontows before turning back to the other two, “Can take a peek inside? I’d like to get your opinion on where to start, things to look out for, that sort of thing.”

Robin smiled and started her way up the steps with the mayor following shortly after, “Absolutely!” She seemed excited, “First off, the porch definitely needs some work. Some of the boards are deteriorated enough to be concerned about falling through; but the way up to the door is pretty sturdy.” She pulled a pair of keys out of her vest pocket and passed them to Nitya, "The keys to your house." she supplied. 

"Thank you." He tucked them into his pocket.

“There are quite a few things inside that need work done,” She opened the door and stepped in, holding it open for the other two to follow after, “The hinges on the front door are a little rusty.” She emphasized this by moving the door back and forth to hear the squeak before flicking on the lights. 

The space was rather small. Set up much like a studio apartment. It was one open room with a door to the far back left corner, and a fireplace smack dab in the middle of the back wall. The green wallpaper inside was peeling, and the wood floors looked like they could use some work; but in all, Nitya had certainly seen apartments sketchier than this back in Zuzu City.

“The door in the far left corner leads to your bathroom. I checked the taps earlier this week and made some fixes so they should be working good as new. I also inspected the electrical work in the house to make sure there wouldn't be any sort of electrical fires, so we’re all good in that department too.” 

“Thank you,” Nitya smiled, “Wouldn't do well to die in a house fire, that’s for sure.” he went to inspect the bathroom, flicking on the lights and stepping in. It was kind of narrow, with a half bath and some shelving above the toilet. A window was between the bathroom sink and the shower, that had a set of curtains that were drawn open to let some light from outside in. He went to open it but it was stuck. With some force though he managed to get it to open and let in a nice breeze. On the wall adjacent was a towel hook.

It was definitely another area that needed work done, but it could be worse.

He stepped back out into the main room to see Robin opening up the front window, which was the only other window in here, “All things considered, it could be a lot worse. I’ve lived in apartments in Zuzu City that were sketchier than this.” He smiled.

Robin turned around and grinned, “Glad to hear this is an upgrade, but we can absolutely make it better.” She moved from the window to the center of the room, “Like for instance, You definitely will be needing a kitchen. Everything here is a little dated, but I was able to bring you a mini fridge to keep things cold, and a hot plate to help you cook in the meantime.”

Nitya stood in the center and really took the place in. 

This was his home now. He was a homeowner. That was definitely not something he thought he’d be at the ripe young age of 23 but look at him now.

_ ‘I wonder what Mom and Dad would think?’  _ Nitya shook that thought out of his head. They weren't here, but if they were, he was sure they would be at least a little bit proud. If not slightly concerned that their only son went off the deep end and dropped a stable job to live in a rundown cabin on an old farm in the middle of nowhere. 

“Ok.” Nitya finally spoke before turning his head to face Robin, “When can we start?”

It took Robin a moment before her eyes lit up, “Cutting right to the chase, I love it! I’m sure you’ll want to settle in a bit, the move here must have been taxing. But as soon as you’re ready, you can visit my shop in the mountains and we can work out logistics and pricing.” 

“Sounds good. It’s been a day, but I don't want to unpack everything just yet, at least until things are fixed up. I’ll spend today moving stuff in so the rental company can pick up the truck by the end of today. All things considered, I should probably be by sometime tomorrow.”

Robin seemed like a kid in a candy shop with how excited she was to start this project, “I look forward to it! I haven't had any big projects like this to work on in a long time. Do you have a cellphone?”

Nitya nodded and took it out to show, “Yup. I can give you my number and let you know when I’m on my way.” It was nothing fancy, just a flip phone, which was funny when compared to the smartphone Robin pulled out.

“Wow, I haven’t seen one of those in a long time,” Robin laughed, “I didn’t think they still sold phones like that.”

Nitya shrugged, “It used to be my dad’s. But I’ll probably upgrade to something better soon.” Nitya lied. As dumb as it probably sounded, it was one of the only things he really had left of his fathers. He couldn’t bring himself to get a new one. His dad gave it to him when he got a new one himself a good ten years back, and Nitya liked it in a purely ironic way. It was very worn out and kind of fallen apart, with the buttons pretty well faded so you could hardly make out the numbers and letters. But it was a phone none the less, and got the job done.

He took Robin’s phone and keyed in his number and sent himself a quick text so he could add her to his contacts.

“You sound like my son.” Her smile seemed to drop a little but then her eyes lit up, “Do you need help bringing in your furniture? I have the day off and wouldn’t mind lending a hand. I’m sure my husband Demitrius wouldn’t mind swinging by either.”

Nitya’s eyes widened, “You don’t have too--”

“Oh nonsense,” She waved her hands, “We haven't had anyone new move in since Jodi and her boys, and that was years ago. I’d love to help.” She was already sending a quick text on her phone, probably to her husband, “We’re a tight knit community here in Pelican Town, so we all like to pitch in to help others when we can. 

From the doorway, Mayor Lewis was smiling, “You’re quite the talk of the town. Everyone’s excited to meet the newcomer.”

“Especially when we heard you’d be moving into the old farm. This place has been vacant for decades. Your grandfather moved out shortly after I moved here with my family, as a matter of fact.” Robin added.

“Should be great for helping pick up the economy here in Pelican town. Things have changed since Joja Mart opened up across town a few years back. But things for our local businesses should hopefully pick up now that you're here.” The Mayor continued, “We all do our part to try and shop locally. But competing prices and bargains make it difficult. Especially for our own local grocery store, Pierre’s.”

Already, Nitya felt a weight land on his shoulders. That was a lot of expectations running on him alone, and suddenly he was worried about failure more than ever. Subconsciously, Nitya started to tap his fingers to the pad of his thumb. A nervous tic he’s had since he was a little kid.

Robin seemed to pick up on this quickly, “We understand that nothing will happen overnight. Things take years to fix, sometimes. We’ll just keep on truckin through like we always do.” She clapped her hands, “In the meantime, let’s focus on getting you settled in. There’s many different projects we can do later on. The house comes first. Better to get things all settled before winter. We don’t want you getting hypothermia, now do we?”

She was very quick to lighten the sudden drop in mood, which was certainly welcome.

Things ought to be interesting here in Pelican Town.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!


	2. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitya meets some townsfolk, plans home renovations, and has a fun encounter with Morris.

Nitya found himself sitting on the creaky steps of his front porch later that night after Robin and her husband Darian left. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling a little overwhelmed now that everything was finalized and he was actually on the property.

He was distractedly looking at the set of keys in the palm of his hand. What was stopping him from just running into the woods and living like some crazy mountain man? Leaving everything behind and just never returning to society entirely?

He heard a small happy chirp call out from behind him as his cat, Dipper, stepped out on the porch and came to sit next to him, rubbing his forehead against Nitya’s arm and purring.

Ahh yes. That’s why. 

He reached over to give his cat a good chin scritch and leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead. 

“You want dinner?” He smiled, feeling the stress and weight lifting off his shoulders, “Oh what? I have to feed you now?” Nitya chided as he stood up and extended his hands down as Dipper hopped up on his hind legs demanding to be picked up.

Once in his arms, Dipper perched the upper half of his body over Nitya’s shoulder. He was a large and lanky black cat who was overly affectionate. Nitya was sure his sanity would be long gone without the guy.

Nitya pushed open the screen door and carried his purring cat through the threshold and inside the rickety old home. Boxes were piled up along the walls with black sharpie labeling it’s contents like:  **pots and pans, videogames and DVD’s, systems,** and  **trinkets** .

He set Dipper down on the floor and made his way to a box labeled  **Cat Stuff** and used the keys in his hand to cut open the blue masking tape he’s used to seal the box shut. Nitya dug through it and pulled out a can of cat food and a few dishes.

After setting out some food and water for Dipper, Nitya collapsed onto his bed that was situated in the back right corner of the room. 

The idea that this place really could be his forever was finally setting in. This was home. He owned this property. He was actually prepared to set his roots down, and as much as that scared him, he was also feeling a little optimistic.

Tomorrow he would visit Robin and plan to have the place renovated. This dinky old shack could soon feel like an actual home. He closed his eyes and smiled.

Tomorrow, things will finally change.

Hopefully for the better.

...

Earlier the next morning, Nitya found himself digging through boxes to retrieve a clean pair of clothes, as well as a box of granola bars for breakfast. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. Usually Nitya wasn’t one to wake up in single digits, but his nerves were buzzing with excitement.

Outside was peacefully quiet. So unlike the hustle and bustle of Zuzu city. It was nice.

While he got ready, Dipper was still curled up on the bed, peeking at him through one open eye as if you say _ ‘You might have to get up early, but doesn’t mean I do too.’ _

He was always such a lazy cat.

He went to the bathroom to take a quick shower after scarfing down a berry and oats granola bar and struggling to set up his coffee maker. By the time he got out, the pot would be done brewing and he would be able to enjoy a cup of coffee to help wake him up before the day got started. 

Once he was all dressed, his curly brown hair the right amount of messy and a cup of black coffee with 2 sugars made, Nitya began to write down a quick shopping list. Nothing too big, just a quick trip to the grocery store and back before finding his way to Robins carpentry shop.

Eggs

Milk

Bread

Butter

Rice

Veggies

Soda

Today, he was wearing a brown and green flannel shirt with a dark grey t-shirt underneith that had the Pokemon logo plastered on the front, dark blue jeans and a pair of black boots. 

He grabbed a few old reusable bags he’d collected over the years. Mostly from local grocery stores, but a few from book stores that he couldn't pass up on getting. His favorite being The Great Gatsby one he’d gotten. It was well worn but still good.

He stepped out the door, calling over his shoulder “Be back soon!” To his cat who didn’t understand a bit of it, but it made him feel a little less lonely when he said the words. 

The trek to Pierre’s wasn’t as long as he was worried it would be. Maybe about a mile at most, which made sense given how small the town itself was. 

As he walked through the town square, his eyes roamed all around to take in what would soon be everyday life for him. The ground was cobblestone with the path lined by a wooden fence. There weren’t any cars, really. And considering how close knit everything was there probably wasn’t any real need for them. 

The town square itself was a rather large opened space with large planters skirting around it. An oddly ornate pattern was laid out in the stones and bricks on the ground that filled up the large empty space in the center, albite a few potholes. 

To Nitya’s right as he entered the town was a small neighborhood. And by small he really meant  _ small _ . It was only two homes. Or what he thought were homes, at least.

Right ahead of him he could see a sign protruding from the face of a storefront ‘ _ Piere’s General Store’ _ . So at least he was on the right track. It was a little after 9, and some people were already out and about.

A few older women were off to his right chatting with each other. But their attention was immediately torn from their conversation as they noticed Nitya make his way to the store, before they started to excitedly talk in hushed whispers.

Of course Nitya knew mentally that people would talk to him and want to meet the newcomer. But what he wouldn’t give to just skip to the part where everybody already knew him and he wasn’t the center of attention.

He sighed and pushed open the door, and was greeted by an enthusiastic older man from the far back left corner of the store. He was a taller gentleman with a light skin and a brown hair parted in the middle. He wore thin framed glasses perched on his downturned nose, and his face had the tell tail wrinkles of someone in their late 30s early 40s.

“Welcome!” He called before his tired brown eyes lit up, “Hey, it’s Mr. Nitya! I’m Pierre, the owner of this general store.” He smiled brightly, in a way that had Nitya suspecting he’d been practicing in a mirror.

Nitya offered a smile back and waved, “Good morning, Pierre. It's nice to meet you too.” He walked over to the man behind the register, “I just moved in yesterday. The farm is definitely a fixer upper, but at the very least I should be able to get a garden or something going.” His fingers tightened subconsciously on the straps of his bags as he took a look around. The store itself was pretty empty of people, but that could just be the early hour. 

Or he supposed it was early for  _ his _ standards. There were people outside already going about their day so maybe the town really was in dire straits economically. 

Pierre’s grin widened, “If you’re looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go.” He reached below the counter and shuffled through something before pulling out a small pack of seeds, “Here, take these to help get you started. I’ll also buy produce from you for a good price. A little agriculture could really inject new life into the local economy!”

Nitya’s eyes widened, “Oh you really don’t have to do that.” And really he didn't, Nitya was well off and already planning to buy what he needed from here once he had things slightly more under control at Golden Oak Farm.

“I insist.” Pierre pushed the seed packet for turnips across the counter and to the farmer, “It’s the least I can do to help assist the newcomer. It isn’t very often we get new people living here in Pelican town, not since Jodi and her boys moved here and that was ages ago.”

“So I’ve been told,” Nitya put on a smile and reluctantly took the package of seeds offered to him, “It’s good to be somewhere new. Zuzu city’s nice and all, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it can be a little overwhelming.”

“There are quite a few young ones here in town who would try to argue otherwise,” Pierre looked tired as he said that, like it was an argument he had often, “It’s a little relieving to see someone younger say refute that. Pelican town isn’t a bad place.”

Nitya nodded his head, “It was a little unnerving to wake up in an area that’s so quiet for once.” He admitted, “There’ll be some things I’ll miss for sure. But so far it’s pretty nice here.”

Their attention was pulled away as a door to their far right opened and closed. A tired looking girl about Nitya’s age started walking through the aisle and up to the front register. She had purple dyed hair and a fuller figure, dressed much like an adventurer he’d see in a video game. She was wearing a purple vest that draped down past her waist like a tailcoat, a black shirt with lace around the collar, a pair of grey jean shorts that were cuffed mid thigh and black leggings underneath. She was also wearing a pair of old combat boots. 

“Mornin dad.” She mumbled out. Upon closer inspection, she was holding a cup of coffee in both hands like it was a life line as she came to a stop just before the entrance to behind the register.

“Speaking of people wanting to move to the city.” Pierre mumbled under his breath, “Good morning Abigail,” his mood shifted slightly like an annoyed parent, “This is my daughter, who was _supposed_ to be helping me stock shelves an hours ago.”

Abigail’s eyes shot open and she locked her gaze on Nitya, who froze up under her scrutiny, “Oh that’s right… I heard someone new was moving into that old farm.” She took a sip from her mug, “Kind of a shame, really. I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself.”

“Abigail!” Pierre looked mortified, “That’s no way to greet someone new!”

Her eyes widened, “Oh my god did I say that out loud?”

Nitya had to suppress a snicker, “It’s fine, really. I bet there’s a lot to explore in those fields. I’m kinda disappointed to have to clear things up. But I’m sure there'll still be plenty to explore. It’s a really large lot.”

A small smile started to form on her face while her father still looked on with some mortification, “I suppose so. It’s nice to hear it’s not all going to waste.” Then her eyes lit up, “Oh my god is that a Pokémon shirt?” She smiled.

“Yes!” Nitya grinned right back.

Her smile widened, “No way! You’re a nerd, I love it!” She looked so much more awake and alert than she had moments prior, “First generation, what’s your favorite starter?” She looked so serious.

“Bulbasaur.” Nitya sounded a little hesitant, since that starter didn’t have as good of stats as the other two. A sad amount of people wouldn’t make it their first choice which was a real shame in his own opinion.

“Hell yeah!” She looked giddy, “I love that little plane dinosaur. People don't give him the credit he deserves. He’s so cute.”

“Did you know he’s actually a frog?” Pierre was looking back and forth between the two in bewilderment as Nitya continued, “His concept was based on onions and frogs.”

“Oh that might be a game changer for Sebastian.” She mused, “Frogs are his favorite animal. He prefers charmander himself, though.” She continued, “And Sam likes squirtle—oh wait! Have you met them yet?”

“No not yet, but they seem like interesting people.”

“They’re certainly something.” She nodded, “We usually hang out in the saloon on Fridays, you should toad-ally join us.” She gave Nitya the look only someone who just dropped an exceptionally bad amphibian based pun would make.

Nitya snorted in amusement, “Oh my god, that was terrible.” She was giving him a shit eating grin that he couldn't help but return. 

“Wait, give me your number. We need to talk more about nerd stuff.” She was fishing her phone out of her pocket, “Do you like Zelda?”

Nitya’s eyes lit up and he nodded his head, “Absolutely! It’s my favorite game series!”

She passed him her phone and he quickly added his contact information to her phone, the. Sent a quick text to his own so he could add her right back.

“Oh you’ll fit in great.” She took her phone back and immediately started typing away at something.

“Abigail, shouldn’t you be stocking the shelves right now?” Her father finally interrupted, “Everything needs to be fronted and faced. Mayor Lewis is do to visit soon. I want things to be in top form.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed, “Yes father.” She said before setting her mug of coffee aside, “I’ll talk to you later, Nitya.” She lifted her hand for a fist bump, which he happily reciprocated.

“Definitely.” He nodded.

She stepped away from the counter and made her way to an aisle to presumably start doing what her father asked her to do.

“It’s good to see you’re already making friends.” The mayor spoke as he stepped into the store, causing Nitya to jump.

“Welcome, Mayor Lewis!” Pierre greeted him in similar fashion as he greeted Nitya not moments before.

The two of them began to chat, and Nitya took that moment to finally step away from the counter and look through the aisles in search of what he’d came here for. The sooner he got what he needed, the sooner he could go to Robin's shop and lay out plans for the renovations to fix up his dinky old shack. 

He felt some stress fade away after talking with Abigail. At least there were people around his age in Pelican town who had similar interests as him. It was such a small community he was worried he'd be the odd man out.

A shame that she was apparently planning on moving to Zuzu city, but would be nice while it lasted.

He came across Abigail again on his hunt for groceries and she engaged him in conversation again, “It’s nice to know someone cool moved in. We all thought you’d be this boring, crusty middle aged dude.” She said as she pulled items on the shelf forward and started checking for expatriation dates, “How old are you, anyways?”

Nitya snorted, “Glad to hear I'm not a boring, crusty dude. And I'm 23, you?”

He looked through the shelves, finally spotting bags of rice and deeming himself lucky.

“I’m 22. Sam’s 23 too. Sebastian is 24.” 

“It’s a relief to know people here aren't boring as well. I was a little worried I’d be the odd man out here.”

She tilted her head, “What made you want to move out here in the first place? Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to have you here. But of all the places you could move to…”

Nitya shrugged, “My grandfather gave me the deed to the farm as a high school graduation gift. Figured I’d give it a shot. I lived in Zuzu city before this, and as much as I liked it, things got too overwhelming.”

“You moved from Zuzu city to live here?” She seemed stunned, “That’s crazy.”

Nitya snickered, “You wouldn't be saying that if you saw the apartment I was living in." He walked around her to grab a loaf of bread on the shelf beside her, “Oatmeal bread?” He read the label out loud.

“It’s pretty good.” She nodded, “Gus bakes it himself. Probably dropped them off earlier this morning.”

“Hmm.” Nitya nodded, “Worth a shot.” He said be for putting it in his bag.

She pulled out a different loaf of bread and inspected the expiration date, deemed it worthy of staying on the shelf and moved on to the next one.

"I’ll see you later?” Nitya asked as he got to the end of the aisle.

She grinned, “Absolutely.”

He smiled and made his way through the rest of the store, checking off items on his list as he went. 

Before he knew it, he had his groceries paid for and put away back at home. 

Now to visit Robins. 

He sent her a quick text before setting off to find the path Robin pointed him towards yesterday. But once he found it, he was on his way. With his wallet in his pocket and checkbook in hand, he was determined to get things rolling.

Nitya was pleasantly surprised by how quickly he arrived at the large clearing that her shop/home was located in. It was still a bit of a trek, given the fact this spot was located higher in the mountains, but it took him about 20 minutes to walk there. 

It was a little past noon. The sun was up high, but it was partly cloudy so it wasn’t blinding. The temperature was pleasantly warm with a nice breeze. 

Everything was just  _ so nice! _

Nitya was still reeling over the drastic difference in air quality they had out here compared to the city. It was clean, it was fresh, and it had no signs of smog or humid, damp garbage. 

He’d really been living the high life in his 5th story 120 square foot studio apartment back in Zuzu city. Fortunate to have 1 window, which was situated right above the apartment complex dumpsters. Oh how he would remember fondly, the days when the laundry room a few doors down was in use. The wonderful smell of fabric softener that would waft through the vents close to his window and how it masked the smell of wet, hot garbage flawlessly.

As he rounded the path and down the steps along the right of the building, Nitya couldn’t help but be amazed by the attention to detail Robin put into her home. He passed by a small gated off part of the yard that had a high end telescope sitting out in what looked to be a small garden area. A colorful assortment of painted terra-cotta pots lined the side of the house with labels like  _ ‘Test Subject A’  _ and just went down the line. Some had plants growing while others were just soil, and others had wilted leaves. 

Not what he would have expected when arriving at a carpentry shop, but then he remembered Darian talk about him and his daughter’s line of work and it all made sense. 

Right around the bend, the front of the building had large display windows that showed off hand crafted furniture for sale. Planters lined the fronts with a mix of blue, yellow and orange morning glories draping over the side. The display made a sharp stop just before a large garage door.

In the window on the front door, a little sign read  _ ‘Open’ _ . 

Nitya pushed open the door and was met with the sight of a young girl around his age chatting animatedly with Robin, who was sitting behind a counter tapping her fingers along the surface impatiently.

“Sometimes my head gets so cluttered with nonsense I can hardly think! It’s been like this for a few days now. But last night—“ the girl slammed a hands down on the counter in excitement making Robin jump, “I had an epiphany!”

Robin noticed the door open with a chime and instantly brightened up, “Hello! Welcome to the mountains Nitya!” She grinned, “This is my daughter, Maru.”

The girl turned around, looking excited, “Oh! Aren’t you the one who just moved in?” She locked eyes on him and gave a grin that matched her mothers, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you! You know, with a small town like this, a new face can really alter the community dynamic. It’s exciting!”

Maru was shorter than Nitya by just about an inch. She had a fuller figure, dark brown skin and warm brown eyes that sparkled. She was wearing a pair of dusty blue overalls with a purple long sleeved shirt underneath. She wore red rimmed glasses, and a pair of dark brown work boots that looked well worn. 

“Glad to finally meet you.” Nitya offered a polight smile as he walked up to the front desk, which he only now noticed had different building schismatics and home remodeling books laid out on it, “Your father told me all about your recent project testing soil samples from around the valley.”

She blushed, “Oh did he?”

Nitya shrugged, “Seems pretty cool. I’ve always wanted to get into gardening, but never could in the city. It didn't really occur to me before he started talking that the soil quality on the farm might need some work.”

Robin chuckled, “Speaking of needing work,” Robin tapped her finger to an open page in one of the books she had opened on her desk, “I’ve been searching through the sources I have here to drum up some ideas for your home.”

Nitya looked to the page with intrigue, “I figured it would be best to start with an addition to the right of your home. Make it your bedroom. Once that’s finished, we can move your things over there and completely gut the main room and remodel it to accommodate an open kitchen and living space.” Nitya was leaning against the counter as he looked over the page, nodding as she continued.

“I figured it’d do some good to add more than one window so you can actually get some fresh air. The front porch will be a much easier task. To start off with, I’m gonna tear it down and put in a set of replacement steps for the time being. After the addition is completel, I can make you a wrap around porch.” 

She started pulling out blueprints she’s drawn up of his home to help explain what she was saying as she went, “Sound good?”

Nitya nodded with a smile on his face, “This looks great, Robin. I like the idea. I’ve lived the past four years in a crummy studio apartment, I’d love having some separation between my bedroom and living room.”

“Good.” Robin nodded, “Just keep in mind, this won’t be cheap.”

“Figured as much, but I’m pretty sure I can afford it.”

“Right now we’re looking at about 10,000 gold.”

Had this been a few months prior, Nitya’s heart would have stopped at that price. But luckily his parents happened to put a lot of money into their life insurance, “Sounds good.” He nodded, “When’s the soonest we can start?” He pulled out his checkbook from his pocket.

Robin looked a little shocked, probably not expecting this project to start as soon as today, “Oh wow, so I have the inventory to get the main structure built in the where house in the back, but once we pick out what colors for the interior you’re looking for I can have the paint or wallpaper ordered by Pierre. I can start the main construction as soon as tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sounds terrific.”

“This is gonna be so much fun! Alright let me get out the samples.”

The rest of that afternoon was spent looking through books with swatches of paint colors, siding and roofing. They priced out and marked off everything that was necessary for the construction, and Nitya passed Robin the check. 

He was feeling pretty good about living here in Pelican town. The people here were nice, and he had his own place to retreat back to when he started to feel overwhelmed.

His home would feel like an actual home soon, and less like an abandoned shack in the middle of the woods. 

Nitya used the mountain path to get home after hours of planning with Robin. It was nice meeting her family, Maru seemed cool, and Darian was really nice. Right before Nitya left, the scientist stopped him to talk about a potential project proposal he was going to make about a cave somewhere on Golden Oak farm. It seemed interesting enough, and they would talk more about it later.

The sun wasn’t set yet, but the sky was tinted orange as it began its dissent. He was currently contemplating what he would do for dinner as he rounded his home, when to his surprise he found a strange man standing out front.

He had neat short black hair that was comed off to the side, as if to hide premature balding, and pale white skin. He was certainly taller than Nitya by at least a foot, which already put the man on thin fucking ice.

He wore a black business suit with a purple bow tied which seemed like it should have been uncomfortable on him in this weather, but he didn’t give any indication that he was affected by it in the slightest. 

When he finally noticed Nitya round the corner of the house, his neutral facial expression morphed into a hollow customer service smile, “Why hello Mr. Nitya!” He greeted with a wave as he made his way over to meet the shorter boy half way, “It’s so great to meet you, my name’s Morris, and on behalf of Joja Co. I’d just like to greet you in person.” 

He took Nitya’s hand and gave it a firm shake, “We like to maintain good relations with the towns folk here in Pelican town. I must admit, I’m fairly new here myself, but it’s so wonderful to have newcomers join our lovely community.”

Nitya was speechless. Even in some podunk town far away from the city, Joja Co. was spreading its roots here. He heard from the townspeople that a Joja Mart opened up here recently, but personally he would much rather avoid it at all costs. 

And yet, here was an employee actively seeking him out—there really is no escape from this company, is there?

“Ahh, yeah good to meet you too.” He finally responded, trying to be polite despite his irritation. He pulled his hand away from the taller older man.

“As a welcome to the community, I’d like to give you this free coupon book. It’s chock full of good deals that could save you up to 1000 gold!” Morris put a thick book of coupons in his hand. If he picked up on Nitya’s discomfort, he didn't let on. 

“Thank you, sir.” He looked to the coupons in his hand with a bemused expression. He wanted nothing more than for this man to get off his property right now, but he was too anxious or polite to say anything as of yet. 

“Once more, it’s great to have you in the community. But with that, I must go. It’s getting late and I’m sure you’re still getting settled in.” The instant wave of relief that went through Nitya's brain was euphoric. 

“Thanks for the coupons. I’ll be sure to keep them in mind.” He lied.

With that, the tall and intimidating Joja employee was on his way down the path towards the bus stop. 

Nitya stood in stunned silence for a moment to contemplate what to do with the thick stack of coupons in his hands. His eyes scanned around the area, took in the overgrown shrubbery surrounding his home and he smiled. 

After eating his wonderful dinner of kings, which consisted of a bowl of rice with an egg on top and a can of Diet Coke, Nitya went around back to dig through a small tool shed and locate a scythe and shovel. 

He ended that night digging a small bonfire pit, lining the rim with rocks, and filling it with the start of what he’d fought back in the brambles and tall grass. Then he unceremoniously tossed the coupon stack in the fire. 

He snapped a picture of the burning coupon book, which was poor in quality for a few reasons.  One, the sun had already set. And two, his phone was an old ass Nokia flip phone. It was grainy at best, but could still make out that it was a huge pack of Joja Mart coupons.

**Nitya:**

Had a fun visitor today. 

[insert image]

_ 8:30pm _

**Abigail:**

Omfg he didn’t 😂

_ 8:32pm _

**Nitya:**

He did :-/

_ 8:36pm  _

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have Sebastian in it! Should be exciting. 
> 
> Also, Bulbasaur is 100% the best and you cannot change my mind.


End file.
